


Another Time and Place

by starlily11



Series: Heart of Steel AU One Shots [5]
Category: Cinderella Phenomenon (Visual Novel)
Genre: Depression, Heart of Steel AU, Hildyr's A+ parenting, I haven't written the full fic for this because I am trash, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Lucette was an Empath, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-10 04:40:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20522087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlily11/pseuds/starlily11
Summary: In another time and place, Waltz and Varg face the aftermath of a horrible loss.





	Another Time and Place

“Far be it for me to stop you,” Varg said behind him, “But since I don’t think you heard me the first dozen times, I’ll say it again: this is a terrible idea.”

  
Waltz made no move to turn around. He simply continued adding ingredients to the small cauldron simmering in front of him. The contents glowed faintly in the dark room, a swirl of pale blue and gold tinted red. As he stirred the mixture, it emitted the scent of lilies and sandalwood, with an undertone of something dark and wild. Just as Varg opened his mouth to repeat himself, Waltz replied, “I heard you. I heard you the first time, and all the times after that. But tell me, if you think what we’re doing is so horrible, why help?”

  
The dark-haired former knight was silent for several interminable seconds. Then, softly: “You know why.”

  
Two pairs of eyes, one crimson and one golden, turned to the leather-bound journal lying beside the cauldron on the scarred wooden table in front of Waltz. The cover was of slightly scuffed brown leather, with a golden lily embossed on the front. A series of papers that both men knew to be charcoal drawings were sandwiched here and there between the original pages. The pages that held the last words and thoughts of the woman they had both loved. If all went according to plan, that journal would become just another remnant of the evil that Hildyr had done, and the anguish it contained just another bad dream. If Waltz failed in tonight’s endeavor, that small journal would be all either of them had left of Lucette.

  
“You know that if things go wrong, we’re both dead,” Varg reminded him.

  
“But at least we’ll have tried,” the witch responded, and one gloved hand softly caressed the leather cover of the journal. His crimson eyes filled with pain. “If I hadn’t been so blind, she would still be here, and none of this would be necessary.”

  
“Lucette made her choices. You can’t blame yourself for not seeing that she was suffering when she spent years cultivating a mask that could fool Hildyr herself. You were cursed and essentially banished from ever seeing her. How could you have seen?” Varg’s voice became jagged near the end of his speech, rich with grief. “I was by her side every day, and I assumed that even if she was a little lonely, she was all right.”

  
The former knight gestured to the journal. “I saw her write in that damn journal every day. I watched her draw some of those pictures, and I did nothing. She did everything in her power to keep us from seeing.” His hands curled into fists. “Sometimes I wish she hadn’t killed Hildyr. Knowing what I do now, I wish I’d killed that bitch myself!”

  
“And you think I don’t?” Waltz turned away, putting a hand over his eyes. “We both failed her. This kingdom failed her. The king failed her. Parfait and Delora failed her.” His shoulders trembled. “I failed her, Varg.” The witch’s voice came out broken, rough and jagged with sorrow.

  
For a while, the only sounds in the room were Waltz’s ragged breathing and Varg’s footsteps as the knight paced out his anger. Finally, Waltz straightened. “There’s no use dwelling on what we didn’t do. Soon enough, I’ll fix this, and these past months will just seem like a particularly bad nightmare.”

  
Varg snorted. “Assuming you don’t die in the process. You witches banned this spell for a reason. What do you want me to tell the fairy when everyone realizes you’re gone?”

  
“…Tell her that I’m sorry, but I had to at least try this.”

Varg blinked, long and slow. “Are you serious?”

  
Waltz smiled sadly. “Why bother lying? I’ll either die trying, or I’ll succeed and what happened here doesn’t matter anymore because it never happened.” He turned back to the cauldron, and, taking a knife, cut his palm and allowed several drops of blood to fall into the mixture, which turned from pale gold and blue tinged with red to a dark crimson intermingling with inky black. The witch then bound up his injured hand and raised the other, a deep lavender glow surrounding him. The glow became a mist, which gathered into a ball of light. With sweat pouring down his brow, Waltz willed the light into the cauldron.

  
The resulting flash had Varg throwing his hands up in front of his eyes, cursing loudly. “What the hell?!”

  
The knight dropped his hands and saw Waltz standing there, exhausted but triumphant. In his hand, he held a glowing red and blue crystal, no longer than a hand span and only a little wider than a finger’s width. “You couldn’t have warned me before trying to blind me?” Varg groused.

  
Waltz made no answer, instead examining the crystal for any flaws.

  
Fingers encased in leather rapped his temples lightly. “Hello? Witch, are you still there?”

  
The witch sighed. “Yes, Varg. What is it?”

  
“Was that flash supposed to happen?”

  
“Yes.” Waltz held out the crystal for Varg to study. “The spell is contained in this stone. Once I’ve regained enough energy, I’ll give it a spark of my magic, and it’ll send me back to the past.”

  
Varg stepped back, arms folding across his chest, forcing his face into a look of indifference that fooled no one. “I still think this is crazy. The other witch and that damn fairy will probably kill me for helping you do this, and this little adventure of yours might kill you. Once you go back, you’ll only be able to use your power once. After that, you’ll die. Assuming you survive the trip.”

  
“Then why did you help me get this far?” Waltz’s eyes were filled with knowing.

  
“Maybe I just think the Princess deserves a second chance.”

  
“And this spell will give it to her.” Waltz held the crystal as if it were the world. Which for both of them, it was, in a way. He stepped back. “Be careful, Varg. Gods willing, this’ll work, and that journal will be replaced with another one that contains happier memories.”

  
A commotion sounded outside the door, and both men recognized the voices of Parfait, Delora, and…was that Karma? Both of them tensed, and Varg hissed, “Get going, witch. I’ll hold them back for as long as I can.”

  
Waltz nodded, and a violet glow surrounded him. The witch picked up Lucette’s journal, and focused his energy on the crystal. Varg turned to face the door, raising his cane. There was another flash of light behind him, followed by a sensation of cold and unoccupied space. Varg grinned savagely.

  
The door splintered open to a grimly triumphant Varg, an empty cauldron, and a bare table. Karma cursed, and Delora paled. Parfait sagged against the wall and sank to the floor, trembling.

  
Waltz was gone.


End file.
